Lock it down, lock it in

Lock the arms, lock the leg, 

lock the elbows to the waist;

squeeze the palms,

push the thighs,

press the shin bones to your face

LOCK... YOUR... LEG!

Locked is thought of as closed off, shut down, unavailable.

As usual, the reality of the experience is exactly the opposite. In hot yoga, the harder you lock, the lighter you feel.

More open. Energized. Soaring.

Why the hot yoga lockdown? Because locking your body unleashes your power.

How to unlock your full potential?

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30 Healthy, Happy and Wise hot yoga tips

Hot yogi and teacher Jaime Cahalan combined a 30 Day Challenge with green smoothies and raw foods.

The result was POW! A real one-two health punch, times 30.

Jaime is a graduate of the Integrative Nutrition Institute and she has worked with Brad's Raw Foods for years, often leading raw foods cleanses. She knows her diet stuff. Many of us want to know what you get by combining hot yoga with healthy eating - especially as we head into the holidays - so now is a good time to revisit Jaime's wisdom. . 

30 Things I Learned on My 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge

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Notes from the Finish Line of a 30 Day Challenge

"I was not feeling well; my body ached and I had a headache. 

Day 26 was not my finest.

I was really tired. My stomach was in knots. I was irritable and short tempered. I wanted a freakin’ night off. Not my normal MO. I strongly considered bagging hot yoga: really, I was doing this 30 day challenge for myself, right? It was only  a strong sense of obligation (decided on early in the afternoon)  that got me to the hot yoga studio...."

Not exactly what you might expect to hear about a 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge.

But it's not all sunshine and roses. Ellen Downey speaks the truth about her hot yoga challenge, and as you know, "the truth shall set you free...but first, it will piss you off."(Gloria Steinem, founder of the Feminist Movement)

So what exactly is Ellen talking about on Day 26 of her 30 days?

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Ask? Is it really that easy to get what I want?

What keeps you from soaring?

Could it be that you never really ask to fly?

Most of us ask for very little; we "keep both feet on the ground." 

"I just want enough to pay the bills." Splat.

Most of us never notice that in fact, we get exactly what we ask. Not because we're punished; because we asked for it.

"I don't ask for much....I'm not asking for the world...I need very little...I can't afford that....I don't need money.... rich people are  greedy...."

As if being meager is rewarding. 

Toby Calandra created a series of meditations around a simple and powerful premise called "Ask and Receive."

Yup, that's all there is to it. How does that work? Beautifully! Listen to the Ask and Receive meditation below and get ready to take off...

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Cut out the Middleman, Cut out the Stress

Is the Middleman screwing up your journey?

It's not your fault. From a tender age, we're taught to mistrust our own sense of direction.

"Don't depend on what you feel," we're told. Feelings change; they're not rational, after all.  Instead, "think straight!" and seek advice from someone Bigger, Older, Wiser. Teachers, parents, bosses, even peers are more trusted with your life than you. "For godsakes, never make important decisions based on emotions!"

But don't you change all the time, too? Wouldn't that make your emotions the best gauge for what's best, right now, in the present moment?

Can you learn to trust your feelings?

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